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LUKE 13:18-22 Luke 13:18-22 Mark 4:26-34 Matthew 13:31-35 18. Therefore he said, To what is the kingdom of God26. And he said, The kingdom of God is as if a man31. He delivered another parable to them, saying, The like? and to what shall I compare should cast seed into the ground, kingdom of heaven is like a it? 19. It is like a grain of 27. And sleep, and rise by night grain of mustard, which a man mustard, which a man took and and day, and the corn should took and sowed in his field: cast into his garden, and it grew, spring and grow up, while 32. Which indeed is the least of and became a large tree, and the knoweth not how. 28. For the all seeds: but when it is grown fowls of the air made their nests earth yieldeth fruit of itself, first up, it is the largest among herbs, among its branches. 20. And the blade, then the ear, and then220 and becometh a tree, so that again he said, To what shall I the full corn in the ear. 29. And the fowls of heaven come and compare the kingdom of God? when the fruit is matured, he make their nests among its 21. It is like leaven, which a immediately applieth the sickle, branches. 33. He spake another woman took and hid in three because the harvest is at hand. parable to them: The kingdom measures of meal, till the whole 30. And he said, To what shall of heaven is like leaven, which was leavened. 22. And he went we say that the kingdom of God a woman took and hid among through the cities and villages, is like? or with what comparison three measures of meal, till the teaching and journeying towards Jerusalem.shall we compare it? 31. As a grain of mustard, which, whenwhole was leavenened. 34. All these things Jesus spoke in   it is sown in the earth, is smaller parables to the multitudes, and than all the seeds which are in without a parable he spoke the earth; 32. And when it is nothing to them. 35. That it sown, it springs up, and is larger might be fulfilled which was than all herbs, 221 and putteth spoken by the prophet, who saith, I will open my mouth inforth great branches, so that the parables; I will utter things fowls of heaven can make their 219 “Avec l’estat present du monde, qui est comme tout obscurci de brouillars ;” — “with the present state of the world, which is entirely, so to speak, obscured by mists.” 220 “Il est plus grand que les autres herbes ;” — “it is larger than the other herbs.” 221 “Que toute autre herbe ;” — “than every other herb.” 76John Calvin Commentary on Matthew, Mark, Luke - Volume 2 nests under its shadow. 33. And by such parables he spake thewhich have been hidden from the foundation of the world. word to them, as they were able   to bear it: 34. But without a parable he did not speak to them, but he explained all things to his disciples when they were apart.   By these parables Christ encourages his disciples not to be offended and turn back on account of the mean beginnings of the Gospel. We see how haughtily profane men despise the Gospel, and even turn it into ridicule, because the ministers by whom it is preached are men of slender reputation and of low rank; because it is not instantly received with applause by the whole world; and because the few disciples whom it does obtain are, for the most part, men of no weight or consideration, and belong to the common people. This leads weak minds to despair of its success, which they are apt to estimate from the manner of its commencement. On the contrary, the Lord opens his reign with a feeble and despicable commencement, for the express purpose, that his power may be more fully illustrated by its unexpected progress. 222 The kingdom of God is compared to a grain of mustard, which is the smallest among the seeds, but grows to such a height that it becomes a shrub, in which the birds build their nests. It is likewise compared to leaven, which, though it may be small in amount, spreads its influence in such a manner, as to impart its bitterness to a large quantity of meal. 223 If the aspect of Christ’s kingdom be despicable in the eyes of the flesh, let us learn to raise our minds to the boundless and incalculable power of God, which at once created all things out of nothing, and every day raises up things that are not, (1 Corinthians 1:28 ,) in a manner which exceeds the capacity of the human senses. Let us leave to proud men their disdainful laugh, till the Lord, at an unexpected hour, shall strike them with amazement. Meanwhile, let us not despond, but rise by faith against the pride of the world, till the Lord give us that astonishing display of his power, 224 of which he speaks in this passage. The word leaven is sometimes taken in a bad sense, as when Christ warns them to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees, (Matthew 16:11 ;) and when Paul says, that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump, (1 Corinthians 5:6 .) But here the term must be understood simply as applying to the present subject. As to the meaning of the phrase, the kingdom of God, and the kingdom of heaven, we have spoken on former occasions. Mark 4:26 .So is the kingdom of God. Though this comparison has the same object with the two immediately preceding, yet Christ appears to direct his discourse purposely to the ministers of 222 “A fin que sa puissance soit tant mieux cognue, quand on verra les avancemens qu’on n’avoit iamais attendus ;” — “in order that his power may be so much the better known, when the progress, which had not been anticipated, shall be seen.” 223 “Qu’il fait aigrir et lever une grande quantite de paste ;” — “that it embitters and causes to rise a large quantity of paste.” 224 “Iuques a ce que le Seigneur nous face sentir l’effect de cette vertu incomprehensible ;” — “till the Lord make us feel the effect of that incomprehensible power.” 77John Calvin Commentary on Matthew, Mark, Luke - Volume 2 the word, that they may not grow indifferent about the discharge of their duty, because the fruit of their labor does not immediately appear. He holds out for their imitation the example of husbandmen, who throw seed into the ground with the expectation of reaping, and do not torment themselves with uneasiness and anxiety, but go to bed and rise again; or, in other words, pursue their ordinary and daily toil, till the corn arrive at maturity in due season. In like manner, though the seed of the word be concealed and choked for a time, Christ enjoins pious teachers to be of good courage, and not to allow their alacrity to be slackened through distrust. Matthew 13:34 .All these things Jesus spoke in parables. Though Mark expressly says, that Christ spoke the word to them as they were able to bear it, yet I think it probable that he continued to employ parables, not so much for the purpose of instruction, as to keep the attention of his hearers awake till a more convenient time. For why did he explain them familiarly to his disciples when they were apart? Was it because they were more slow of apprehension than the great body of the people? No; but because he wished to convey to them privately a knowledge of his meaning, and to allow others to remain in a state of suspense, till a fitter opportunity should arrive. These were only a sort of introduction to the Gospel, the full brightness and publication of which was delayed till the proper time. There is an apparent contradiction between this statement of Matthew and the prediction of Isaiah, which was quoted a little before. But this is easily removed; for, though he withdrew the light of doctrine from the reprobate, yet this did not prevent him from accommodating himself to their capacity, so as to render them inexcusable. He therefore adopted a method of teaching which was proper and suitable to hearers, whom he knew to be not yet sufficiently prepared to receive instruction. 35.That it might be fulfilled Matthew does not mean, that the psalm, which he quotes, is a prediction which relates peculiarly to Christ, but that, as the majesty of the Spirit was displayed in the discourse of the Prophet, in the same manner was his power manifested in the discourse of Christ. The Prophet, when he is about to speak of God’s covenant, by which he adopted the seed of Abraham, of the benefits which he continued to bestow upon his people, and of the whole government of the Church, introduces his subject in lofty terms, I will open my mouth in parables, (Psalm 78:2 :) that is, “I will not speak of trifling matters, but will handle with becoming gravity subjects of the highest importance.” When he adds, I will utter dark sayings, the meaning is the same; such repetitions being very frequent in the Psalms. The Hebrew word      , (Meshalim) signifies comparisons; and it came afterwards to be applied to “weighty sentences,” because comparisons generally impart beauty and energy to a discourse. The word      (Chidoth) sometimes denotes “riddles,” and at other times, “short sayings.” Now though Matthew seems to allude to the word parable, he undoubtedly means, that Christ spoke figuratively, in order that his very style, being more brilliant than ordinary discourse, might carry more weight and dignity. In short, he says that what is contained in the psalm was fulfilled; because the use of allegories and figures tended to show, that Christ was treating of the hidden mysteries of God, and to prevent his doctrine from being despised. Hence, too, we infer, that there was no inconsistency in the various objects which Christ had in view, when he spoke to the people in a dark manner. Though he intended to conceal from the reprobate what he was saying, yet he 78John Calvin Commentary on Matthew, Mark, Luke - Volume 2 labored to make them feel, even in the midst of their amazement, that there was something heavenly and divine in his language. 225 Luke 13:22 .Journeying towards Jerusalem. It is uncertain whether Luke speaks only of one journey, or means that, while Christ walked throughout Judea, and visited each part of it for the purpose of teaching, he was wont to go up to Jerusalem at the festivals. The former clause, certainly, appears to describe that course of life which Christ invariably pursued, from the time that he began to discharge the office which had been committed to him by the Father. To make the latter clause agree with this, the meaning will be, that, when the festivals were at hand, he attended, along with others, 226 the holy assemblies.